International Mindedness - A competition

At the heart of the IB mission is the goal of developing young people who can help create ‘a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect’.

In the past there were many ways to do this. We lived in an international order underpinned by institutions which were dedicated to the pursuit of global peace and prosperity, even if these lofty goals often remained out of reach. Now the world is becoming more polarised by the day, and suddenly what divides us is beginning to look more powerful than what unites us.

The politics of identity and ‘me-first’ are on the rise, with the attendant dangers of conflict. So how can we build educate young people to create that better world, based on intercultural understanding and respect?

One initiative that could help us has just been announced by The World Today magazine, published by Chatham House, the renowned think tank in London. Its ‘Engaging the Next Generation’ project aims to encourage young people to take a fresh interest in international affairs at a time of huge change. It is seeking to foster a global community of young people who can exchange ideas across borders.  It may even encourage them to consider a career - as a diplomat, aid worker, international civil servant or development economist – to tackle the problems that can only be addressed on a global scale.

Like the International Baccalaureate, the World Today has its roots in 1945, amid the ruins of Europe at the end of the Second World War. The magazine was founded in that year to broaden the circle of people involved in international affairs – the politicians and professional diplomats having failed miserably in the 1930s to prevent conflict breaking out in Asia, Africa and then Europe.

Today, its youth outreach project ‘Engaging the Next Generation’ starts with a school writing competition, launched in association with the London Financial Times newspaper. Students aged 16-19 are asked to respond in 500 words to this question: ‘If you were UN Secretary-General for a day, what would be your first action, and why?’ The editors are looking for ideas from around the world, and the winning entry will be published in the magazine.

You can see the terms and conditions and a submission form for entries here.  And here is the latest edition  of The World Today.

In future the editors will be providing online material – including animated explainers of the sometimes-obscure terms used in current affairs – to spark the students’ interest. They hope this will broaden the outlook of students and help them in developing international mindedness preparing them to engage in global affairs and to make a difference in the world.